Paranoid or Loved?
by TracyEvansLuvsHSM
Summary: Currently on HIATUS because I've misplaced the file the story was on...
1. Hawaii is Trouble

**A/N: Originally, I wrote this story for English Class, but I'm going to post it anyway, changing the names and all that, of course. In this story, Rene and Charlie are still married - and happy. Alice BRANDON is still best friends with Bella Swan...and the rest is history...Just to clear things up - characters are Emmett McCarty, Alice Brandon, Bella Swan, Carlisle and Esme Cullen, Edward Cullen, Rosalie and Jasper Hale...who are twins.**

**Bella's POV**

"School's out!"

The kids in the classroom shouted as they grabbed their stuff and aimed for the beeline: the door. A bevy of excited students bursted through the rusty old doors of their ancient school.

I, however, was the last one out of the classroom. I ambled at a leisurely pace, oblivious to my impatient friend ahead of me tapping her foot. When I caught up with my best friend, Alice Brandon, she immediately began to lecture me.

"What in the world is wrong with you? It's summer! This is what we've been waiting for since September!" Alice shook my shoulders nonstop and looked at me as if I had four heads and three eyes.

I only shrugged apathetically and responded pathetically.

"I guess. I mean we _have_ been waiting for this for like forever. I guess I'm just not excited because my family never goes anywhere fun during the summer. _Never._"

"Oh come on! It can't be that bad," Alice urged eagerly.

"Oh really? The only thing I've ever done during the summer is rot away on the couch, sweating from the heat. I was so lackadaisical that I was even too lazy to turn on the fan." Alice was slack-jawed.

"No way! You wasted _every _ summer melting in a sofa?" She confirmed dubiously.

"Trust me. Don't _ever_ visit me during the summer. My house smells like a mélange of sweat with decay and my dad's stinky feet." We giggled and headed off to my house.

As we sauntered into the house, my parents were already there, waiting for us.

"Girls, hurry up and sit down," my mom ordered trying to keep a straight face.

I knew something was up. I sat down slowly and gingerly trying to scrutinize my mother's expression.

Alice whispered into my ear, "Are we in trouble?"

My dad overheard.

"Relax, you guys aren't in any kind of trouble."

We both sighed with relief as my parents chuckled humorously.

"We have an announcement. We, are all going to Hawaii this summer!" Alice's and my jaws both dropped.

Between the two of us, Alice was the first to speak.

"Oh. My. Gosh. Hawaii. Summer. Wow," she squealed with élan.

My mouth still hung agape. "Close your mouth, sweetie," my mom scolded me, "you'll catch flies."

I closed my mouth and chose my words carefully.

"When you say 'we', you mean..."

My dad laughed at my caution. "We mean you, your mother, and I," he answered.

My smile immediately dropped. I mean sure, Hawaii, my first trip. But without Alice?

"As well as Alice," my mom tacked on.

"No. Way. My parents would never agree. I'll never be able to talk them into this. I'm my dad's little girl. He'll never allow me to go on a trip this big, especially without them," Alice whimpered saturninely.

Hmph, never thought I'd see the day that perky little pixie was actually SAD. I mean Alice and Sad just don't go together. Alice is like a big exploding ball of sunshine. She's a hyper little one full of energy. Never calm or depressed, or even down!

"Don't worry Alice. We got this covered. We talked to your parents and everything's okay," my parents reassured her. Alice's spirits were immediately lifted.

Well it was fun while it lasted...

"AHH! THIS IS GONNA BE SO MUCH FUN! Thanks, Rene, Charlie!"

Alice squealed as I covered my ears to prevent hearing loss from her high-pitched voice.

"Well, that's all we have to say," and with that my parents left the room, after Alice had hugged them both.

"Wow. Can you believe we're going to Hawaii?" Alice asked with awe.

"Yeah, I guess," I said unsurely. Boy, was I wishy-washy today.

"Why aren't you just as excited as I am?" Alice questioned.

"Hawaii is beautiful and all, I guess. But it's also dangerous. There are active volcanoes there. And volcanoes can lead to all sorts of disasters, like tsunamis and earthquakes..."

"Oh, don't be such a paranoid nebbish, Bella. You need to step out of your comfort bubble, and take some risks. Have some fun!"

Alice continued with her pep talk, and eventually convinced me into going, not that I had a choice in the first place. I decided to give in.

"You know what? I'm not going to be a worry-wart anymore. From now on I'm Miss Daredevil."

My mom stuck her head into the room.

"By the way, girls, we're leaving tomorrow around noon. Better start packing!" She reminded, and left.

Then I started to panic.

"Tomorrow at noon? Is she insane? How am I going to have enough time to pack all the necessities of a trip like _this_? My clothes? My scrapbook? My camera? What about my helmet and emergency first aid kit that I haven't gotten yet?"

I rambled on pacing around the room. Good thing the room was spacious, and didn't have many pieces of furniture.

Alice just stood there, glaring at me, hands on her hips, giving me a doubtful look.

"Well, well, well Miss Daredevil..."

I quickly cleared my throat. "I mean sure, about a day to pack, no problem. I mean, who needs to bring a scrapbook and a first aid kit? Who cares?" Alice just smiled and shook her head unbelievingly, then headed home to pack for what was supposed to be 'the best summer ever'. It all just starting to sink in.

**A/N: There is a reason Bella is so paranoid - it'll show up later on in the story. Because this was an assignment, there are so really weird long and complicated words :S - Sorry about that. Let's just say Alice likes to learn new words to use against Emmett...  
**


	2. Jump or Die

**A/N: Read.**

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The next morning I was shaken awake by my very frustrated mother.

"Bella! Wake up!"

I heard her distant voice, but I just couldn't open my eyes.

"What.." I mumbled.

"Get up! We have a lot of preparing to do before our trip tonight. Come on!"

I shot out of bed.

"Ok, Mom, I'll be ready in ten."

My mom left and I started getting dressed, wondering where we would be going.

If we should go to the drugstore, I could get my emergency first aid kid, and maybe something to treat beestings and poison, just in case. Can never be too careful!

"I promised Alice I wouldn't be such a baby," I muttered, just to myself.

Grabbing my bag, I headed downstairs, lured by the strong aroma of delicious pancakes, smothered in sweet syrup.

"Mmm, smells good, Mom," I complimented.

"Thanks, dear. Now eat up. We've got a busy day ahead of us," she said as she placed my breakfast in front of me.

I got up to get my fork and knife, but I was stopped.

"I'll get it for you, honey," my dad volunteered. Whoa, they're in a good mood today.

He handed me my silverware, then he sat down and continued to read today's paper while sipping his coffee.

"As soon as I finish washing the dishes, we'll head off okay?" My mom asked.

My dad and I nodded our heads in agreement and I continued to binge on my hotcakes.

I scarfed down the rest, handed my dishes to my to my mom and headed towards the living room. I planted my tush on the couch and grabbed a napkin to wipe my sticky lips.

As I threw the scrunched up ball into the trash, the phone rang. Not even looking at the Caller ID, I picked it up.

"Hey, Ali! 'Sup?" I greeted.

"Not much, Bella, what are you doing before the trip?"

My face lit up and I replied, "We're going to the...uh..., hold on a sec,"

I covered the speaker of the phone and yelled, "Mom! WHERE ARE WE GOING?"

"The drugstore, sweetheart, and don't yell in the house!"

I spoke into the phone, "The drugstore. Want to come?"

"Ooh! I'd love to, but I don't have a ride," Alice said glumly.

"We can give you a ride."

"Ok! See you later then!"

"TTYL!"

I hung up and walked back into the kitchen. "Mom, can we pick up Ali up on the way to the drugstore?"

My mom nodded in consensus.

After picking up Alice, we went to the drugstore.

My parents bought the usual stuff, sunscreen, a disposable camera, some hats, and other necessary items. I was picking out an emergency first aid kit, since I happened to be one of those paranoid danger magnets...

I nearly succeeded, but Alice kept glaring at me and I caved under peer pressure.

The next thing I knew, we were heading for the airport.

Alice was just a huge bottle of enthusiasm.

While we were waiting for our gate number to be called, Alice, very loquacious, chattered on nonstop about the obstacles she had to overcome while packing her clothes.

"...I just couldn't choose between the cute tank top or my tie-dye t-shirt..."

I wasn't really listening; I was deep in my reverie. Just chilling, on the beach... Suddenly a pontifical voice over the P.A. shattered my train of thought.

"Gate D53 may begin boarding."

Alice practically shot up from her seat. "Come on, Bella. Don't be such a party-pooper!"

I sighed in defeat and tried to keep up with Alice's incredible speed, while my parents sauntered behind us.

Alice was most definitely hyper, and probably on a sugar rush.

We showed our boarding passes and passport to the flight attendant.

"Your flight will be approximately two to three hours in time length."

She had a fake smile plastered on her flawless face.

I could easily tell she thought she was way too classy, for her job. Pretentious!

Alice and I walked into the neat tunnel that lead us to the entrance door of the plane.

We chatted along the way.

"So how come you're not excited? It's your first trip," Alice asked, trying to be sangfroid.

She didn't fool me, I could see she was just dying to scream at the top of her lungs.

"Who says I'm not?" I blurted out.

"Well, if you are, you sure are _excellent_ at masking it," she shot back, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm ecstatic on the inside. I'm going to explode any second!" I exclaimed sarcastically.

I used hand motions for a dramatic effect.

"And _I'm_ the one that's on a sugar rush?" She rolled her eyes and we kept walking.

As we got closer to our seats, I mumbled to myself, "D49, D49, ah, here we are." Alice and I settled in our seats.

My parents were in the row right behind us.

"This is your pilot sleeping, I mean speaking," Alice burst into giggles. "please fasten your seat belts and get ready for take off."

After Alice's laughter gradually faded to silence, I dozed off. I then found myself waking up to the great turbulence of the plane.

I felt immediate vertigo.

"This is your pilot speaking, again. I'm afraid we've lost one of our engines."

I could feel myself plummeting to my death. The nose of the plane took a huge dive. "Please remain calm, passengers. There are parachutes under your seats.

Fortunately, we are right over your destination, Hawaii. Please prepare to jump, and line up at the exit closest to you. We have to abandon the plane."

Oh. My. Gosh. Parachutes? Jumping? I should have never come.

Alice saw the panic on my face. "Don't worry, Bella, we'll jump together."

I was taking deep breaths while putting on my parachute. We didn't have any carry-ons so that didn't matter.

All we had were our iPods.

"Remember when I said you should take risks. Well this is a risk you have to take. It's risk or death, not that you really have a choice." She smiled. It was our turn.

"Ready?" I nodded and gulped. "One, Two, Three, Jump!" We jumped.

I could feel the huge rush of adrenaline overcoming my body.

Alice was right beside me holding my hand. "Pull the string!" She yelled.

I couldn't really hear her over the loudness of the plane, and frankly I was just way too shocked to move, so she pulled it for me.

Suddenly everything slowed down as our parachutes popped open.

I was still stunned. I realized, jumping wasn't actually that bad.

That rush of adrenaline was actually...pleasing? If that made sense...

When our feet touched land, we abandoned our parachutes and started looking for my parents.

As usually we chatted along the way.

Alice looked at me, addled by my blank expression. "What's wrong, Bella? Do you have aftershock from the jump?"

"Actually the jump wasn't that bad...I mean I have acrophobia, but, but, I think that was actually fun! That feeling when we jumped, I felt, so, so free! Free of cares. That moment when you don't know what's going to happen, and all you can hope for is the best...it's, it's, wonderful!"

Alice laughed. "See? Not everything that's dangerous is _bad!_ Look! You've overcome that wacky fear of heights you had. Maybe this vacation can be beneficial to you."

I jumped as I heard a giant explosion. I looked out to the sea. The plane had combusted into pieces, diving right into the water. Wow. Volatile.

Alice let out her breath. "Aren't you glad we weren't in _there!_"

"Yeah, totally!" Soon enough we found my parents.

They both rushed over to me.

"Bella, darling are you alright? I know you're afraid of heights and all, but-" I interrupted. "I'm fine, Mom."

"I'm just glad Daddy's little girl is safe."

My parents both gave me a giant bear hug.

"C-c-an't b-breathe..." They let go of me.

"Not to interrupt your father-mother-daughter moment, but shouldn't we find our hotel?" Alice asked quietly.

"Right! Let's go!"

Anon, we found our hotel not too far from where we landed when we jumped.

"Rooms reserved under Swan?" My dad said to the receptionist.

"Here are your room keys. You have a joint room? Correct?" The receptionist confirmed.

My dad nodded. "You're on the thirteenth floor. Enjoy your stay!"

I couldn't move. "The thir-thirteenth fl-floor?" I stuttered.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Not with your superstitions again, Bella. Come on, let's get in the elevator."

"Hey! It's not my fault I have triskaidekaphobia!" I defended.

We unlocked our door with our room key. The hotel room was absolutely palatial. After checking the legs of the bed with circumspect, I sank into the mattress.

"Bella, you know you _didn't _have to check those legs right..?"

"What are you talking about Ali ? We're on the thirteenth floor, and everyone knows thirteen spells out bad luck."

"And you know I don't believe in that crap. Besides, what happened to Miss Daredevil?" Alice reminded

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

She smirked. "Nope, not in a millennium. 'Cause you promised," she pouted, jutting out her lower lip, giving me her irresistible puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, no more worrying." I grumbled.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go check out the beaches!" Alice said low on patience, again.

"No way, Ali . I've had enough thrill for one day. I just jumped out of a plane," I sassed back.

As if on cue, my mom came through the joint door.

"Girls, why don't you explore Hawaii as of now? Your dad received a call from the airport. Luckily, all of our luggage was carried by another plane, so we have all of our stuff. We're going to take a taxi and pick up our luggage. Would you two like to come, or would you rather explore."

Alice just turned to look at me.

I contemplated the pros and cons of each situation.

"If I go to the airport and pick up our luggage, I'll be safe, unless I happen to be in a car accident...If I explore the beaches, there could be a giant tsunami that could wash me away...It's a hard decision."

"Bella! Remember our discussion..?"

"Fine, I'll go explore Hawaii."

"Alright, don't explore alone though. Follow a tour guide or something."

My parents took the elevator and called a taxi, then left.

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A/N: Don't worry, the other Twilight characters will make their appearance soon enough. Review!**


	3. Volatile Mountain of Doom

**A/N: Read on! Please Review too! Help me get more hits on this story - introduce it to your friends! And if you haven't, check out my other story, Concealed!...I know this chapter is short...only 700 or so.  
**

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I stood up from the bed.

I was going to sit in one of the chairs beside the mahogany table.

I wanted to inspect the legs, but Alice was watching me like a hawk.

So I just sat down.

BOOM!

The chair collapsed and I did too.

Alice cracked up and I just glared at her.

"I'm s-sorry, it's j-just the chair b-broke, and-d y-you f-fell d-down!"

By now she was laughing so hard, there were tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Ow, my stomach hurts from laughing so much."

I got up and smirked, "God's punishment, Ali ."

And then I pushed her into one of the beds.

"Haha. Very funny."

Her face got all serious.

"You were the one that said I wasn't allowed to inspect the legs!"

"Yeah, but I didn't expect the chair to have one screw loose!"

"Yeah, well, thirteen spells bad luck, remember?"

"Whatever, you say, my friend. Come on, let's go join some tour guide's group."

Coincidentally, there was a tour guide recruiting a group in the lobby, so we joined.

"Aloha, everyone. Before we begin our tour, I'll tell you a bit about Hawaii. Hawaii is a state made up of entirely islands! How cool is that? Even more awesome, Hawaii was formed from volcanic eruptions."

I gulped, and he continued on.

"The capital city of Hawaii is Honolulu, which also happens to be the largest city here. In Hawaii, our main languages are English and Hawaiian. 'Aloha', a casual greeting or salutation, could mean 'hello' or 'farewell'. Hawaii is a natural tourist attraction because of its natural beauty, warm tropical climate, waters and waves, and active volcanoes."

He first took us to see the beaches.

As soon as we set afoot out of the hotel, I could feel a rush of humid air, instead of the air conditioning of the lobby.

We walked and he talked on.

I got sand all over and in my flip-flops.

I felt whiney.

"Ali , can we go now, I have sand everywhere!"

"Well, duh. You're wearing flip-flops."

"But it's uncomfortable. And what if a tiny piece of shell sneaks into my flip-flops? And it slices right into the arch of my foot? I'd be fighting infections, and I haven't got my tetanus shot yet!"

"Bella...that's not going to happen. Besides, you have vaccinophobia."

I sighed. "You don't need to say it, I already know."

"Good. Come on. He's talking about volcanoes now."

"A volcano is a mountain which is a vent, from where lava and ash, can emerge onto the the earth's surface. There are many active volcanoes in Hawaii, as I mentioned before," he said, gesturing to one. I wasn't really paying attention before. My eyes grew wide. "A-active v-volcanoes?"

Alice started thinking aloud.

"I wonder what it'd be like to climb that volcano, and look inside.."

"No way am I getting involved in that. See ya!" I said and turned to leave.

"Bella..." She whined. Not _again_.

"Alice..." I mocked.

"I guess exploring the inside of a volcano is a bit extreme..."

"You _guess?_"

"Okay, it is extreme!"

But then came the rumbling...

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A/N: Like I said in the beginning, help me popularize this story!**


	4. Surfing with Flirty

**A/N: Read! Review please! Make me happy =P**

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"Can you feel that folks? The ground rumbling? Can you hear that? The volcano's about to erupt! But don't panic, it's perfectly normal and we're perfectly safe."

"Safe? Are you nuts? We're a mere distance away!"

"Relax, kid, this volcano oozes out lava from its sides, not the kind that explodes with lava and ash into the sky."

"Ooooh," I said sheepishly.

And the fiery mountain erupted.

Lava oozed out and down the mountainous terrain.

"Wow. What a beauty. Hmm, maybe volcanoes aren't so bad, as long as they don't erupt like that one in Pompeii..."

Alice nudged me.

"See? You're slowly getting over your fears. You just have to look at the good side of things, not the 'what ifs'."

"I hate it when you're right."

"Yet, I haven't missed a beat today," Alice said smugly, "you need to stop worrying, and just enjoy this. I mean look at the view. It's breathtaking."

I scowled.

She was right.

_Again_.

The view was breathtaking.

The waves gently rolled on, pushing one another, a beautiful shade of ocean blue.

The palm trees swayed, as if dancing to the barely audible whistle of the wind.

The climate was warm, but not sweltering, just bearable.

And the volcanoes, were a natural wonder of the landscape.

The sand looked soft, and was not too hot, and made of a variety of minerals.

It was fine sand.

The sights were absolutely voluptuous.

I could hear the waves crashing against the rocks along the shore.

"Hawaii is a place of beauty, but has a few down sides. It experiences earthquakes every now and then, and tsunamis due to the fact that it's an island and surrounded by water on every side. Earthquakes are vibrations causes by the collisions of plate tectonics on the earth's crust, and a tsunami is an unusually large sea wave produced by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption. Not to worry though, we have seismologists that study in advance."

I sighed in relief.

Alice just shook her head.

"Well, that concludes our tour. Have fun!"

Then we headed back to the hotel.

My parents had come back with our luggage.

Alice was hyper again.

"Bella, let's go surfing!"

"What? I don't know how to surf, and I'm pretty sure you don't know either!" I remained pertinacious.

"You're right, I don't...but there is nothing wrong with learning to!"

"Where are we going to find a surfing instructor?"

Oh boy, my parents overheard. This can't be good.

"Well, sweetie, this _is_ a full service hotel. Just ask the desk lady downstairs in the lobby."

"Come on, Bella, we have our swimsuits now, let's change and let's go!"

I opened my mouth to argue, but Alice saw it coming.

"If you plan on arguing me, don't bother. We _all _know who's going to win in the end," she told me superciliously, "don't waste your breath."

I quickly changed into my swimsuit, and wore my regular clothes over. Alice took at least half an hour trying to decide between the red one, or the yellow one.

I grew intolerant of her indecisiveness. "Just wear the orange one! It's a mixture of red and yellow!"

"Oh my gosh! That's brilliant! Just let me go change."

She seized her swimsuit and dashed into the washroom.

I swear, if I hadn't made the selection for her, she would've taken at least two hours. 

_At least_.

Boy, would I be bored.

Well, that's Alice for you.

Fashion-crazed and incredibly hyper.

"Okay! I'm done!"

"You are not going down to the lobby looking like that," I stated disapprovingly.

"Why not?" She complained.

"Just put on your clothes over your swimsuit, and grab a towel," I ordered, trying to conceal my annoyance.

"But-" I cut her off.

"Grab your clothes and the darn towel and let's argue in the elevator," I suggested.

At least we would be getting _somewhere_.

She dragged her legs behind me.

In the elevator, she eventually gave into me and put her clothes on.

I had pulled the "you're making me go surfing so don't sass me" card and she yielded.

As soon as the elevator door opened, she bolted to the front desk.

"Hi! Can we get a surfing instructor here?" The desk lady looked up and gave us the evil eye. She had a minatory expression on her face. It was a different lady than before, since the other one was on the phone.

"Of course, you brats."

I could tell with the tone of her voice that she thought teenagers were sleazy and puerile.

She made a few phone call and got back to us.

"Sadly, you're in luck. The last session just ended. Your surfing instructor will be here betimes. His name is Jacob," she told us sardonically.

Then some ripped guy walked into the lobby.

"That's Jacob, right?" I asked.

The desk lady was surprised.

"How did you know that was him?"

That disgusted tone in her voice was still there.

She probably expected us to be obtuse.

I liked the other amanuensis better.

I replied, "Well, let's see, he's shirtless, wearing his iridescent swim trunks, with a whistle around his neck, and he's carrying a surfboard."

Alice nudged me and hissed, "Don't be such a smart aleck. Stop it with the repartees."

I sneered.

The desk lady's expression changed from surprised to dumbfounded.

That'll teach her to be baleful.

Jacob approached us with largo, greeting us with a svelte attitude. I

could tell he was a flippant, intractable, and bumptious lothario, but yet a debonair Adonis.

I know I'm a captious person, and really judgemental, but I'm pretty sure it's true.

He's the kind of man that feels the need to be macho.

"Hello there, beautiful," he complimented Alice, and kissed her hand. Alice giggled demurely.

I prodded Ali's shoulder, and seethed, "Don't be fooled by his looks. He's a feisty one. Keep your dignity.."

I told Alice, but my intuition was telling me that she wasn't listening.

Then Jacob tried to take my hand.

I pulled away.

He looked confused for a second, but just shook it off.

"I'll go get your surfboards, ladies," he said smoothly, "meet you two, down by the beach."

He winked.

"Alice..."

"Bella...I can't believe we're going to learn how to surf! Isn't this awesome? It's a once in a lifetime chance! Come on!"

"Alice, you know I'm a gauche person..."

"That doesn't matter, let's just go have fun!"

My best friend was instantly snapped out of the trance.

I grinned victoriously.

We headed down to the quixotic beach, where many couples were having trysts, sharing coconuts.

Jacob was already out in the water when we arrived.

We put down our towels and stripped ourselves of your regular clothes, since our swimsuits were underneath.

We walked together into the water, which was warm, and only up to our knees.

Jacob gestured for us to get on the boards.

We got onto the boards and he taught us step by step how to surf.

"First, you have to lie, tummy down, on the board. Then you start to paddle with your feet, then move your arms like this." He showed us how. "And then when there's a big enough wave you stand on your board and balance. It's similar to snowboarding or skateboarding, if you ladies do that. Those are the basics. If you want some more advanced lessons, just give me a call."

He winked.

I felt totally disgusted.

Alice learned how to surf quite fast.

I just lay on the board and paddled around the shallow parts of the ocean, close to the shore.

I could tell Alice was disappointed that I hadn't joined her yet.

"Bella! COME ON OUT! THE WATER IS GREAT!"

I guess I should listen to her, but I also have cymophobia, a fear of waves. I sighed.

Well, what's the worst that can happen?

I headed on out.

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A/N: You know the drill, review and share with your friends!**


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